I know what Wyatt wants. He wants permission. He wants a yes he can earn.
I know what Jesse wants. He wants her. He wants her close. He wants her part of his life so badly he can barely hold it in.
And me?
I want… clarity.
I want the truth spoken out loud so it stops poisoning the spaces between us.
I want Wyatt to stop hurting quietly. I want Jesse to stop acting scared.
And I want to stop feeling like I’m standing on the edge of everything I can’t control.
So I tell her the part I’ve been holding back.
“I think you’re going to choose Jesse,” I say.
Her eyes widen, but I continue before she can interrupt.
“Because there’s already something there. You’re drawn to him. He’s drawn to you. Everyone can see it. Including you.”
Her cheeks burn redder.
“And that’s fine,” I add, because it has to be said. “But Wyatt needs to hear it. Out loud. So he can let it go. So he can move on without wondering if he missed his chance because of a lie we all told ourselves.”
Abilene’s mouth opens. “I’ve…” She shakes her head, small and overwhelmed. “Marshall…”
“And I need to hear it too,” I admit, because honesty goes both ways. “Because I’m not interested in chasing you. I’m not built for that. But I also won’t pretend I don’t feel what I feel.”
Abilene stares at me in shock because I’ve just stepped out of my usual role, the stoic rancher, the protector, the man who doesn’t say much, and I’ve become something else.
Human.
Her voice is soft when she finally speaks. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”
“I know.”
“And I don’t want to hurt anyone,” she adds.
“I know that too.”
She closes her eyes briefly, trying to calm herself.
Then she opens them and looks at me again. “So what… what do you want from me?”
I lean in slightly.
“Dinner,” I say.
She blinks. “Dinner?”
“Yes,” I repeat. “All of us. We talk. We figure out what you want like adults instead of… whatever the hell we’re doing now.”
Her cheeks flare. “I don’t… I don’t know if I can?—”
“You can,” I say, firm but not unkind. “Not because I’m ordering you. Because you’re stronger than you think you are. And because hiding won’t make this simpler.”
Abilene’s gaze flicks around the market again, suddenly aware of how public this is, even though no one is listening.
